The present invention relates to home chocolate processing apparatus and the novel method of making chocolate candies.
The techniques for processing pure chocolate into chocolate candies are taught in industry, but such techniques have not been made available to the consumer, due in part to the high cost, large size, and required expertise in the use of such equipment.
The interest in chocolate world-wide has intensified over the past years. This interest is manifested best by the emergence and success of the so-called gourmet chocolate shops and store boutiques. Some of these products are selling for up to $32 per pound! During 1984, a new magazine "Chocolatier" was introduced which deals exclusively with the subject of producing chocolate-based delicacies in the home. This magazine is enjoying high growth, thereby indicating that the public is very interested in processing this relatively exotic material in the home. A great many people around the world love chocolate.
At the present time, the ability to produce very high quality pure chocolate candies in the home is all but impossible. The reasons for this relate to the chemistry of pure chocolate, which is made up of pure cocoa, cocoa butter and sugars, as major ingredients. Imitation chocolate replaces cocoa butter with fats that do not have the desired qualities that cocoa butter imparts chocolate candies.
Pure chocolate used in the production of chocolate candies is referred to as "coating" in the industry and has two crystal states, tempered and untempered. The desired state is the production of tempered coatings, but in order to produce them, the temperature and agitation of the coating must be maintained within very narrow limits. Imitation chocolate or "composites" are generally much easier to process into finished candies due to less sensitivity to temperature. "Coating" as used herein is intended to mean pure chocolate, as in the industry.
Typically, in a known method, a coating is introduced into a vat where it is stirred while the coating is allowed to reach gently the initial melting temperature. The coating is then allowed to drop to some lower temperature and then brought up to some intermediate temperature for final processing into candy. These temperatures are normally held to well within one degree F. The coating is gently agitated during the heating-cooling cycle and such agitation continues during the processing cycle. It becomes obvious that if one is to attempt to carry out these processing steps in the home, via the use of a double boiler, stove, microwave oven, the results would be spotty at best, and a poor quality product would be almost always produced. Because of this, pure, high quality coatings are not offered to the consumer for home processing.
Materials available through specialty shops for the making of home-made chocolates are of generally poor quality because they are not pure coatings. These are artificial products which are not so sensitive to the vagaries of home processing. Their taste, texture, and appearance do not come close to the quality of products produced from pure coatings. The magazine hereinbefore referred to has no source listing for pure chocolate coatings. A person cannot go into a store and purchase such materials. The severe limitation of using these materials in the home is well recognized.
In order to demonstrate how tricky the process can be, a brief listing of some of the more common defects in pure coating candy production, their causes and remedies is as follows:
______________________________________ APPEAR- APPEAR- ANCE ANCE BOTTOM TOP CAUSE REMEDY ______________________________________ Cloudy Cloudy Coating Increase temp 1 deg. F. too cold Acceptable Dull/low Coating not 1. Add lump coating luster properly 2. Increase temp 1 deg. tempered Shiny Cloudy Coating Decrease temp 1 deg. F. too hot Cloudy Luster with Coating Repeat complete start- spots too hot up procedure Wet/sticky Wet/sticky Coating Repeat complete start- too hot up procedure ______________________________________
The principal object of the invention is to provide home chocolate processing apparatus which produces very high quality pure chocolate candies at home.
Another object of the invention is to provide home chocolate processing apparatus which is of simple and compact structure.
Still another object of the invention is to provide home chocolate processing apparatus which is inexpensive in initial cost and in operation.
Still another object of the invention is to provide home chocolate processing apparatus which may be successfully operated by inexperienced, non-expert people, at home.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide home chocolate processing apparatus which automatically or semi-automatically tempers and maintains the temper in any of the highest quality chocolate coating available.
Another object of the invention is to provide home chocolate processing apparatus which enables an unskilled user to produce, with relative ease and positive assurance of success, chocolate candies which are equal to the finest commercially produced chocolates made.
Still another object of the invention is to provide home chocolate processing apparatus which is capable of processing from one quarter pound to over ten pounds of chocolate per day.